1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic ammunition loading system for a large caliber cannon, and more particularly to such system which delivers a series of fixed ammunition rounds from a system magazine to the breech of the cannon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An ammunition round generally consists of a projectile, a propelling charge and a primer. Large caliber ammunition usually falls into two categories. Separate ammunition is the term applied to ammunition in which all three parts are separate and are brought together only at the breech of a cannon. Semi-fixed ammunition is the term applied to ammunition wherein the projectile is separate but the propellant and the primer are fixed together. Fixed ammunition is a type wherein all three of the component parts of the ammunition are fixed together as a unit. Some large caliber ammunition is of the fixed type although the most widely known type of such ammunition is that which is exemplified by a rifle or a machine gun shell.
Ammunition loading systems are well known for large caliber cannons mounted on a gun carriage. The barrel of such a cannon is generally controllable in elevation on the carriage and the carriage is in turn controllable in azimuth position. Such a cannon is seen in the disclosure of the Girouard et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,218,930. This disclosure relates to an ammunition handling system wherein magazines provide both a projectile and a propellant charge to a hoist which lifts the projectile and charge together upwardly to a carrier. The carrier receives the projectile and the charge together and rotates to the azimuth position of the gun carriage. When the carrier reaches the gun azimuth position, the projectile and charge, referred to as a round hereinafter, is received from the carrier by a cradle on the gun carriage. The cradle is elevated about the gun support trunnions to a position such that the round is adjacent the rear of the gun and the cradle axis is parallel to the axis of the gun bore. The round is transferred from the cradle to a transfer tray and the tray is then swung downwardly to a position which is coaxial with the bore of the gun. The round is then rammed into the breech to complete the transfer from the magazine to the gun breech.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,967 issued to Johnson et al discloses a system for delivering semi-fixed rounds of ammunition from a magazine to the breech of a large caliber gun movable in azimuth and elevation. The magazine includes drum type holders for projectiles and propellant charges which deliver a projectile and a propellant charge together to a lower hoist. The lower hoist lifts the round to a movable carrier. The carrier is caused to rotate about the gun azimuth axis and to deliver the round to an upper hoist. The upper hoist rotates with the gun carriage and delivers the round to a swinging cradle which carries the round to a position where it is delivered to a transfer tray. The tray moves the round into axial alignment with the bore of the gun and a ram is utilized to insert the round into the gun breech.
An automated large caliber ammunition handling system is disclosed in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 443,341 filed Nov. 19, 1982 and assigned to the Assignees of the invention disclosed herein. A cannon is mounted on a gun carriage and is free to move in elevation on the carriage about an elevation axis. The carriage is controlled in azimuth for gun pointing. Storage drums for holding a plurality of projectiles and charges are mounted on the carriage. A projectile tray and a propellant charge tray are positioned to receive the projectiles and their propellant charges from the respective storage drums. The trays are pivotally mounted on independent cradle arms so that they may be rotated on the arms between a receiving position and a gun loading position. The cradle arms are pivotally mounted on the gun carriage so that they may be moved in elevation between the receiving position and the gun loading position in alignment with the breech. A control is provided which actuates the mechanism in sequence to transfer the projectiles and charges from the storage drums to the trays and from the trays to the breech. The control monitors the positions of the system mechanical components and insures an appropriate operating sequence so that a series of ammunition rounds are delivered from the drums to the breech.